Improvement in gas apparatus for railroad cars



J. S. WOOD. GAS APPARATUS FORRAILROAB GARS, Aw. No. 105,756.

Fig-1I Patente-@July v26. 1870.`

iden-eri tatrt @sind (attire.

JOSEPHYS. WOOD, OFY PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A SSIGNOR TO HIM- SELFZ AND JOHN J OARBERRY, vOE SAME PLAGE. v

Letters Patent No. 105,756, daterlfuly 26,- 1870.

The Schedule referred Vto in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, JOSEPH S. W001i), of the city` andv vcounty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Gas Apparatus for Railroad Gars, of

which the following is a specification.

'lhc nature of my invention, which is an improvement on my patent of J nly15, 1870,' No. 101,558, consists iu the horizontal construction and arrangement of' the-machine, so as toadapt it tov illumination of railroad or city horsesc'ars. The machine is in two parts, in one of' which the hydrogen gas is formed; inV

Y A is a cylindrical horizontal 4-vessel, having a dia phragm or tight partition, a', in the center, so as to vdivide it into two chambers or tanks, B B'.

Within thelower tank B is along basket, G, which is filled with iron turningsor filings.

This basket is inserted'at the end of' the cylinder A; it slides loosely'within a perforated guide-tube, H, which permits ot' the free access of the dilute acid to the turnings, and escape of the gas, and prevents the basket G from 'rolling about.

Tile end of the guidetube E is closed by a tight! fitting screw-plug, h', in the end of the cylinder A, through which the basket is withdrawn.

The upperchainber B is used as a tank for dilute sulphuric acid; it is filled through the inlet K.

The upper tank B is connected with the lower,

B', by' a pipe, L, having a stop-cock, M this Vpipe LA enters at the .bottom of` the chamber B, and also lose at the bottom of the' chamber B' below the baset G.

1f' the cock M is dispensed with, the pipe L may be placed inside the cylinder' A, as shown in iig. 4.

1n this case it answers as -a communication for the displacementof` the liquid from the lower chamber, but the liquid cannot be retained in lthe upper chamber B during'the` removal of' the sediment from the lower tank, as it `can when there is a cock. K is a mud-hole plug through which the sediment I is extracted.

The hydrogen gas escapes from the lower chamber B' up through the pipelaT into the horizontal cyl- 'ci l indrical carbureting-box P, packed with saturated Wick;

The pipe Nenters this box by a raised elbow, a', which thereby prevents any gasoline or other hydrocarbon liquid from descending the said pipe. It then passes horizontally valong the bottom of' the box P within a perforated sheath, O, which prevents the saturated packing from clogging the openings in the pipe N.

R is an inlet-valve, through which the saturated packing m is charged with gasoline,

S nare union joints, having India-rubber washers s', for making'air-tight joints, and by which the box P is connected to the cylinder A.

In fig. 1 thisg'as apparatus is represented at' W as secured beneath the body of a ear, and connected to pipes X amigas-burners at. v

The endot' the apparatus is here shownwith the plug, h', through which the 4machine'can be charged with .iron turnings while in position under the car.'

The operation of' the machine is in this way:

"lhecap h is unscrewed and the basket G filled with iron turnings, returned to its place, and the cap h. secured.

The tank B is filled with dilute acid, which'rnns down the connecting-pipe-L into the lower chalnber B'.

Thecontact of the. liquid and iron turnings generates hydrogen gas, which passes upthe pipeN into thecarbureting-box P, where it passes through the saturated packing fm/as carbureted hydrogen gas, and

thence tothe burner T.

It is not essential that the box P should be' over the cylinder A; it may be atone side, with the `pipe N passing out at the side near the top of the chain'- ber B'..

When too much gas is generated, the pressureof the gas within the chamber B' forces theliquid up the pipe L out of contact with the iron filings, and no more gas is generated; Vwhen the pressure falls the liquid returns again to the lower chamber. In this lmanner the machine itself regulates the quantity of' gas made.

The cock M is for retaining the liquid in the upper chamber while the sediment is being with- My invei'ition relates to modifications in the appnratns io1gonera.ting :md cairhnreting hydrogen gas, which modifications adapt the apparatus for use `b`e nenth railroad ears, and for other nnzilngous uses nud places.

What I claim as myl invention, and desire to secure hy Letters Patent, is

1. The horizontal cylindrical vessel A, constructed -with n partition a and outlet Ii und draw-tube basket:

G, circulating pipe L, arranged and combined as and for the purpose heroin described.

2. A machine for generating hydrogen gas, so consti-noted of a, horizontal tube A, containing n perfo- Arated guide-tube, H, and horizontal draw-tube basket G, as to be adopted to its position beuenth railway cars, for the purpose herein described.

Witnesses EDWD. BROWN, Jos. BABY.

JOSEPH S. WOOD. 

